Ireland could go to Japan as the World No.1 if they beat the Grand Slam champions in Dublin next weekend.
World Rugby will argue that the current rugby rankings system rewards teams for long-term consistency but how about giving out less points for winning what are essentially warm-up knock-abouts.
On Wednesday, Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray agreed that some of the furoré surrounding his side’s heavy defeat to England would have been tempered if it was classed as something lesser than a full-blown, fully marketed ‘Test match’.
“They are Test matches, at the end of the day,” he conceded. “Once they start, it’s full-on. It was at a full Twickenham against an England side that had players in their third game in a row.”
(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)A defeat by more than 15 points would have seen Joe Schmidt’s side drop to 5th place but Ireland have not lost two in a row since the 2016 tour to South Africa. Ireland beat Wales 22-17 at Principality Stadium, on Saturday afternoon, and in doing so shook up the rankings snow globe.
That victory for Ireland, who came into the game ranked No.4, over Wales (ranked No.1) has returned world champions New Zealand to the top of the pile. That one result has vaulted Ireland back up to No.2 and dropped Wales to No.4. Here are the rankings World Rugby will confirm on Monday:
1.51 ranking points for beating a Wales side that was missing the likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Ross Moriarty, Liam Williams, Dan Biggar, Hadleigh Parkes and more. It doesn’t feel quite right.
That Ireland win now sets up the prospect of them going to the World Cup as No.1 in the rankings.
Warren Gatland will field a starting XV, next Saturday, that contains many of his Grand Slam winners. Ireland should go close to full strength too, with Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw expected to make warm-up bows.
Should Ireland follow-up that Cardiff win with another over the Welsh, at the Aviva Stadium, they will go No.1 for the first time since rankings came into being.
Projected ranking should Ireland beat Wales
England play 13th ranked Italy at home in their final warm-up and Scotland face 12th ranked Georgia in back-to-back outings. Ireland versus Wales is the final big ‘Test’ for rugby rankings before the World Cup gets underway.
An Ireland defeat would see them trade places with Wales [going from No.2 to No.4] while a win would have them as the top ranked side going into rugby’s biggest tournament.
